Dawn chase and murder

OUR BUREAU

Kali Park on Rajarhat Road woke up to gunshots on Monday morning as assassins on a motorcycle chased down a building material supplier and pumped bullets into his head and neck.

The duo on the two-wheeler, wearing full-mask helmets, managed to speed away before the local people came out and saw Prasenjit Roy, 36, lying on his face in the middle of the thoroughfare that connects Kali Park with Baguiati on VIP Road (2km away).

“The pillion-rider fired at least five bullets. Three missed Prasenjit but his bike skidded off the road. The two caught up with him and the pillion rider shot him in the head. The killer then got off the bike, stood on Prasenjit and fired another bullet into his neck to make sure he was dead,” said an officer of airport police station.

Preliminary investigation indicates rivalry over building material supply led to the murder, according to an officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate.

Prasenjit’s wife Rakhi said he was a pump operator at Rajarhat Gopalpur municipality.

Prasenjit’s father-in-law Manoranjan Chowdhury said: “Of late, he had been involved with syndicates. I had asked him to quit but he refused to listen to me.”

The murder took place around 6.10am, when Prasenjit was heading to a construction site from his Narayanpur home. The assassins intercepted him on Rajarhat Road. Witnesses said they had seen the three sitting on their bikes and talking for nearly 10 minutes.

Bimal Roy, a morning walker who saw the murder, said: “The pillion rider was firing the bullets. Prasenjit ducked and managed to dodge the first bullet. He tried to speed away, but his motorcycle skidded. He then started running towards a lane. The assassins chased him on their two-wheeler. Prasenjit fell after one of the bullets hit him.”

“We have started an investigation and sent the body for post-mortem. It looks like the man was shot several times from a very close range,” said Aneesh Sarkar, assistant commissioner (airport) of Bidhannangar commissionerate.